Social Virtuosity and the Improvising Voice; Phil Minton & Maggie Nicols Interviewed by Chris Tonelli

Phil Minton and Maggie Nicols are two of the most important figures in field of free improvised vocal music. Their significance derives not only from their longevity—Nicols and Minton have each been consistently active in the U.K. and global improvised music scenes for nearly fifty years—or the innovations they are responsible for—Minton's album A Doughnut in Both Hands represents one of the earliest solo vocal free jazz/improvisation recording projects, Nicols' Feminist Improvising Group represented a progressive intervention into the male-privileging socio-politics of free jazz/improvisation communities in the 1970s and 1980s, and both Nicols and Minton are important figures in the practice of fostering choral improvisation—but also for the ethics governing the ways their practices have developed. This interview and critical introduction explore the shape of the ethico-aesthetics behind both their personal improvisational practices and the inclusive community improvisation projects they have developed, including Minton's Feral Choirs to Nicols' The Gathering.